The Student Organization Travel Fund (SOTF) offers registered student organizations the opportunity to request supplemental funding to support travel-related opportunities.
Student organizations may request funding from the SOTF to support travel to off-campus events—such as regional, state, or national conferences, competitions, and training opportunities—where they represent the University of Tennessee. To be eligible for support through the SOTF, proposed travel must align with the organization’s mission and purpose, reflect the mission of the university, and demonstrate a meaningful impact on the organization’s effectiveness.
Student organizations are limited to $3500 per academic year with travel costs not exceeding $500 per eligible student. Additionally, as it is intended to be a supplement to organization’s overall travel costs, the SOTF will only provide approved funding for 1-2 aspects (ex: registration, fleet management costs, etc.) of a student organization’s trip.
Spring 2026 Information:
- Student Organization Travel Fund applications are being accepted for travel that occurs PRIOR to June 30, 2026.
- Applications must be submitted via the timeline listed below. Please note that applications submitted late or post travel, will NOT be considered (no exceptions).
- Organizations are encouraged to apply as early as possible (ex: applications for travel that occurs in Spring 2026 can be submitted in Fall 2025).
- SOTF Criteria
- SOTF VOLink Form
| Application Due Dates | Review Notification Dates | If Approved, Trip Should NOT Depart BEFORE |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, January 7 | Monday, January 19 | NOT depart before Friday, January 30 |
| Wednesday, January 14 | Monday, January 26 | NOT depart before Friday, February 6 |
| Wednesday, January 21 | Monday, February 2 | NOT depart before Friday, February 13 |
| Wednesday, February 4 | Monday, February 16 | NOT depart before Friday, March 6 |
| Wednesday, February 18 | Monday, March 2 | NOT depart before Friday, March 13 |
| Wednesday, March 4 | Monday, March 16 | NOT depart before Friday, March 27 |
| Wednesday, March 18 | Monday, March 30 | NOT depart before Friday, April 12 |
| Wednesday, March 25 | Monday, April 6 | NOT depart before Friday, April 17 |
| Wednesday, April 8 | Monday, April 20 | NOT depart before Friday, May 1 |
| Wednesday, April 22 | Monday, May 4 | NOT depart before Friday, May 15 |
| Wednesday, May 6 | Monday, May 18 | NOT depart before Friday, May 29 |
Helpful Travel Links
- SOTF Roster Template (to be uploaded to SOTF VOLink Form)
- SOTF Application (to be uploaded to SOTF VOLink Form)
- SOTF Post Allocation/ PreTrip Checklist – Example (trip specific link sent to organization upon SOTF allocation approval)
- Route Planner – includes a gas cost estimator
- CONUS Rates– If event does not include a conference lodging rate, approved/ reimbursable rates within the continental United States (CONUS) are determined by the U.S. General Services Administration
- UT Fleet Management
- UT System-wide Policy: FI0725 – Use of University Vehicle
- UT DASH – How to Create an Expense Delegate (for those employed on campus)
- UT DASH – GetThere Travel Booking Tool (for those employed on campus)